EXPERTS have urged hang gliders and paragliders to undergo specialist training following the second crash on Pendle Hill in a month.

On Monday evening, police said a man was airlifted by helicopter to the Royal Blackburn Hospital suffering from arm and back injuries.

Officers said he over-shot his landing area and came down on a road near the Wellsprings Restaurant, in Sabden.

Police said he was flying a non-motorised hang glider in the incident, which happened around 6.30pm.

Last month, air ambulance crews were scrambled to a 44-year-old with back injuries who crashed his ‘speedwing’ paraglider into the Ribble Valley side of the hill, falling 30 feet.

A spokesman for the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA) said neither accident had been reported to the group, meaning the pilots may not be members.

He said: “It is dangerous to try these sports without proper training and knowledge.

"The BHPA is currently developing a full training syllabus and there are several well-established BHPA schools offering a very safe training route.

“There is an enormous amount of knowledge, experience and help available within the BHPA and its associated clubs.

"There is simply no good excuse not to tap into this huge wealth of experience.”